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Evaluation
There is a need for greater fluency within the
organisation in applying streamlined human
resources (HR) systems that better support
emergency recruitment (like the use of generic
terms of reference and the quicker adoption of
recruitment systems that can fast-track staff
appointments, inductions and entry to the
programme).
While the organisation has a comprehensive
financial management system, the experience
of the team in trying to link programme outputs
with donor contracts to facilitate contract
management has been a challenging one and
would benefit from review.
Coverage
Concern has performed well against the coverage
criterion, choosing to launch a multi-sectoral
response which targeted both urban and rural
communities. Given the extraordinary nature of
the crisis, an extraordinary response was
required. While it means that Concern has had to
work hard to deliver against such a large
programme, it has done so successfully.
Relevance
The programme has maintained its relevance
throughout the response by providing a mix of
targeted assistance (through cash for work and
livelihoods programmes) and blanket distribution
of basic commodities. While the context of
the crowded urban environment has made it
difficult at times to attain minimum standards,
interviews with project participants suggest
that the services being provided by Concern are
meeting their needs.
The use of SPHERE standards and indicators
in Concern’s programmes has provided an
important yardstick for success. Given the clarity
that the WASH team now has about
progress that needs to be made against cluster
standards, it will be important that swift
progress is made to achieve these.
Connectedness
Concern’s established presence in the country
and the strong links it has with communities
provided an important platform for the earthquake
response. This has served both to
provide much needed assistance and further
cement Concern’s relationship with project
participants. Since the organisation is also
working in sectors it has established a competence
in, interventions in these areas often
benefit from strong analysis.
Eighty per cent of schools in Port au
Prince were damaged or destroyed.
Concern has hired ‘animators’ to
facilitate play and learning.
While considerable
progress has been made in
building a coherent Concern
team in Haiti, it will be
important to continue to
strengthen ways of working
to ensure strong integration
between all parts of
Concern’s mandate, whether
long-term development or
humanitarian response.
Accountability
Good progress has been
made in cascading key
accountability principles
such as the provision of
information, consultation
and participation of communities
throughout the
Concern programme. An
important area for Concern and the broader
humanitarian community will be to ensure
that camp committees are consistently working
in the best interests of the people they represent.
There is some urgency in establishing
accountable and representative camp committees
and Concern should continue to work
with the cluster to find workable solutions.
Effectiveness
Concern has been effective in mounting a large
multi-sectoral humanitarian programme in
Haiti. In particular, the breadth of the
programme, the timeliness of many of its early
interventions and the prioritisation of meeting
rural in addition to urban needs has been
impressive in such a complex context.
Protection and peace building are now
being mainstreamed across the humanitarian
programme. In the absence of government
policy on durable settlement solutions and
with elections planned for November 2011, it is
likely that these cross-cutting areas will
become ever more relevant. It will be important
that there is sufficient capacity and that
activities are fully integrated across all of
Concern’s humanitarian work in Haiti.
Two resources are highlighted - a review of
the excellent organisation-level meta-evaluation
conducted in 2009 and the Preparing for
Effective Emergency Response (PEER) document
which summarise
Allison Shelley/Concern, Haïti, 2010
Allison Shelley/Concern, Haïti, 2010
organisational knowledge
and learning. Condensing
these into a set of succinct
(1-2 pages) documents,
highlighting key lessons for
programme design and
delivery and organisational
systems and ways of working,
would be a wise
investment for the future.
Identifying best practice
The evaluation highlighted
the significant contribution
which Concern has made
in meeting the needs of
e a r t h q u a k e - a f f e c t e d
communities in a timely
and effective manner. A
number of these are worthy
of particular mention as
Out-patient nutrition clinic at
Place de la Paix, Port-au-Prince
they demonstrate significant innovation,
achieve a level of excellence in response, or
show proficiency in a particular area of
response.
Responding to the needs of rural and
urban communities
Concern has built on its established presence in
the country to extend both relief and recovery
activities to those living outside the immediate
environs of Port-au-Prince. Its operations in La
Gonave and Saut D’eau have been backed up
by a robust analysis of the numbers of
displaced and the impact this displacement has
had on the local infrastructure and economy. In
the first three months of response, Concern
provided cash, tents to meet emergency shelter
needs and non-food items to targeted beneficiaries
in these areas. Given the propensity for
aid to be targeted at the most visible and most
numerous claimants, the targeting of rural areas
by Concern is noteworthy. Not only does it have
the potential to ensure that those affected by the
earthquake and subsequent displacement are
supported, but it goes some way to slowing the
inevitable return to Port-au Prince which the
limited services available in the city would have
struggled to accommodate.
Transitional shelter design and delivery
The roll-out of the T-shelter programme has
been considered by many (including the shelter
cluster coordinator) to be exemplary. While
it took some time to conduct the baseline
survey, to assess needs and to procure the
materials, the programme has benefited from
sound targeting and excellent organisation of
work processes which has allowed for swift
production of the shelters. The design is innovative
and has taken account of the needs for
earthquake- and hurricane-proofing. The
approach taken towards the use of contractors
to manage shelter construction using labour
sourced from the camp has allowed the work
to progress quickly, while fostering ownership
and transferring important skills to members
of the camp population.
Humanitarian leadership & coordination
Throughout the response, Concern staff have
shown a commitment to participating in
humanitarian leadership and coordination
forums. While the Country Director is part of
the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), sector
staff members have also played prominent
roles in clusters and sub-cluster groups.
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